Do you think “cool” or “tool” when you see people riding Segways around Boston? Regardless, you may not be seeing these riders, usually on tours, anymore.

Mayor Menino has signed an ordinance banning Segways from city sidewalks here in Boston. If enforced, tour companies like Boston Gliders will go out of business (the company has been granted an injunction on the ordinance while it moves through the judicial system).

Menino signed the ordinance, attributing potential accidents as the reason. Our question is, how are these Segways any more of a potential accident threat than bikes?

“Boston is known as a walkable city, and to have these motorized devices on the sidewalk is just absolutely dangerous to pedestrians,” said Sal LaMattina, a member of Boston city council in a UPI article today.

“Where [Segway accidents are] coming from, I have no idea,” said Edan Shekar, a tour guide for Boston Gliders. “We’ve never had an incident. They’re trying to legislate us out of business and if they succeed, I’m going to be out of a job. We bring several hundred people and their tourist dollars into Boston every day. We’ve done everything in our power to ensure safety.”

What do you think about the ban, Boston? Let us know in the comments.